PIB ponders coalition with Muslim parties

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Overshadowed by lack of popular support, several tiny political parties look set to cooperate in the 2004 General Election, an economist turned politician said on Monday.

The parties in question are the Justice Party (PK), the United Development Party of Reform (PPP Reformasi), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Nation's Democratic Party (PDB) and the soon-to- be established New Indonesia Party (PIB). The first three are Muslim-based parties.

"A date has been set for a meeting, which will materialize in the near future," Sjahrir, who chairs the Alliance for New Indonesia, the embryo of the new party PIB, said in a press conference here.

The press conference was held to assess the performance of the current government over the past year.

The alliance, a rainbow social-political grouping, is slated to declare itself a political party on Sept. 23.

Sjahrir said it was too early to ascertain a coalition of the parties during the meeting.

"The meeting is merely aimed at discussing a strategy ahead of the 2004 General Election," said Sjahrir. "But it will be useful to strengthen ties among the political parties. If closer ties could be maintained, it would be easy for us to form a coalition before the general election."

Sjahrir had earlier expressed interest in joining forces with PPP Reformasi, which is chaired by popular preacher Zainuddin M.Z.

The coalition could be seen as an anticipatory move to the prospective political party law, which restricts the next election to parties that have won at least 2 percent of votes or 10 seats in the House of Representatives in the 1999 election. Those parties will be asked to coalesce or form new parties to contest the election.

If the law is passed by the House by the end of the year at the latest, PBB and PK will be barred from participating in the next general election.

Sjahrir said he was doubtful if PIB could win enough votes to win House seats, saying the prospective party had no prominent individuals who could attract votes.